Love Will Destroy Us All
by AprilLittle
Summary: Caesar's Palace Shipping Week
1. Clato Day 1

As her body crumbled to the ground, so did the fragile hope Cato had been harboring within. His shrouded heart was unceremoniously displayed to the world before shattering into infinitesimally sized shards that scattered through the underbrush. Rage seized his body.

When he drew the sword from 11's chest and watched the boy's life cease, Cato's feelings of failure and anger did the opposite; they became stronger, empowered by the emotion he had been too weak to show until too late.

The arrow hastened toward him, and Cato released his final breath. Cupid's aim had caused him nothing but pain; this shaft would give him release.

Love will destroy us all.


	2. Odesta Day 2

He would crawl into bed every morning, just before sunrise, sliding beneath the covers and draping a hand across her hip as if he had been there all night. She tried to find comfort in the scent of his cologne, a special blend of spices that he wore only at home, but when she rolled over to inhale more deeply and bestow a kiss upon his lips, the smoothness of his cheek caused her to draw back. The lack of overnight stubble reminded her of the dress shirts she pretended not to notice in the bathroom hamper - torn off buttons, smudges of exotic-colored lipstick, and ghostly white stains.

Love will destroy us all.


	3. Haysilee Day 3

His chin rested on the edge of the table as a bottle of vodka passed back and forth between his trembling hands. _Right to left. _His eyes contorted comically as they stared through the clear liquid, though their gaze contained no true mirth. _Left to right. _Across the room was where they appeared to be focused - not on the overturned coffee table from last week, or the broken pane of glass from last month - but twenty-five years in the past . Every sleepless night of every year mistakenly allocated to his continued existence found him ruminating over her moment of sacrifice, her declaration of love.

He twisted the lid off the bottle.

Love will destroy us all.


	4. Peeniss Day 4

When he caught her shoveling rich, delicious desserts haphazardly into her mouth, he simply smiled and returned his focus to his own plate. She hated that he smiled at everything she did.

When she became flustered by Caesar's line of inquiries, he gamely covered for her lack of words with his eloquence. She hated how he could turn her inadequacies into endearments.

When she refused to have allies, he concealed himself in the Career Pack, repeatedly leading them astray, and ultimately lost part of himself to ensure her safety. She hated the sacrifices he made for her.

When the rebels rescued him from Snow, and he greeted her by wrapping his hands around her neck, thumbs pressed into her windpipe. . .she hated that his hate for her was real.

Love will destroy us all.


	5. Finnannaodairason Day 5

His arm was wrapped comfortably around Annie's waist, serving the dual purpose of displaying her proudly to their guests, and keeping his new bride safe. From afar, Johanna admired the authenticity of her friend's smile as his green eyes connected with their mirrored reflection in Annie's upturned face. Only when these gazes were followed by tender kisses did she avert her eyes, discomforted by the prominent display of affection.

She found herself alone in bed, the drab gray blanket twisted repeatedly around itself and her bare thighs. Johanna's right hand set the morphling tablet - her third since the wedding festivities ended - onto her tongue. As the drug dissolved in her mouth, dulling the pain in her heart, her left hand slid beneath the tangled blanket, beneath her waistband, to quell the ache she felt there.

Love will destroy us all.


	6. Glossmere Day 6

Their kiss of parting was disrupted when the waiting avox pulled open the car door. The dramatically made up faces of self-important Capitolites were distorted more disgustingly than usual as they gawked at the gorgeous sibling victors. Emerging together into the packed gala, the pair was immediately split apart by the groping hands of current and potential patrons.

All Cashmere wanted was to break away from these humanoid muttations, slide her hand through Gloss' tuxedo'd arm, and disappear into the night. She wished Gloss were the last man in Panem, the only man allowed to touch her. Instead, every quarter hour that passed found her with a different man grabbing her ass, 'accidentally' spilling his drink down the front of her dress, or slobbering kisses along her neck in a 'seductive' manner.

Love will destroy us all.


	7. Gale's Lovely Lady Day 7

Moving stealthily through the gray pre-dawn light, Gale peeked through the windows of the Everdeen's house repeatedly to be certain there would be no interruptions. Hay strewn about the ground muffled his footsteps better than any hunter's light tread could have hoped to. He reached deep into his front pocket and slid his fingers down the ribbed surface of the surprise he had been saving for her all week. . .he couldn't wait to see the look on her face when he removed it from his pants and placed it into her mouth. She was always so hungry, the satisfaction would be short-lived, but afterwards - if he was lucky - she would allow him to nuzzle against her neck.

Someday, Gale dreamt of having a garden tilled with rows upon rows of carrots for his gorgeous Lady, but until then, stolen moments before everyone else's day began were all they could hope for.

Love will destroy us all.


End file.
